Sewing machine hemmer



Sept. 22, 1942. J. P. ENOS SEWING MACHINE HEMMER Filed Oct. 29, 1940(hit n I? Enos Patented Sept. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES PATE'i OFFICESinger Manufacturing Company,

Elizabeth,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 29, 1940, SerialNo. 363,266

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machine hemmers particularly of thepresser-foot type. In the use of hemmers of this type the fabric beinghemmed has its marginal edge folded by a scrollmember into substantiallya tube about'a'n' arbormember and when so folded is delivered beneaththe sole-plate of the presser-foot where the tube is flattened and thenstitched in such flattened condition. In order to maintain propercontrol of that portion of the fabric folded into the tube it isnecessary that the fabric-passageway between the arbor and the scrollthroughout its length be only slightly more than the thickness of thefabric being hemmed. In hemmers as heretofore constructed it is commonto form the arbor-member from a section of wire having a uniformcross-sectional area. With this type of arbor the fabric-passagewaybetween the arbor and the scroll varies in size or capacity fromoversize at the receiving end of the hemmer to proper size at thedelivery end of the hemmer. This variation in the size of thefabric-passageway effects the accurate control of the fabric during thefolding thereof. Furthermore, the arbor cross-sectional size is so smallthat the folded fabric is not maintained in its proper tubularformation, but is permitted to collapse prematurely before it passes thedelivery end of the hemmer, which premature collapsing frequentlyresults in the uncurling of the raw edge of the fabric, producingimperfections in the finished Work.

The present invention has for its primary object the provision of anarbor-member of such size and shape as to properly control the fabriccomprising the hem-fold and prevent its premature collapse in itspassage through the hemmer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hemmer having anarbor-member designed to properly control the fabric in the hem-fold,the arbor-member being simple in construction and susceptible of massproduction on a so-called automatic screw-machine.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedarbor-member for a hemming attachment which, in its operative relationwith the fabric-turning scroll, does not impede the introduction of thework into the hemmer, but provides a smooth unbroken workdirectingsurface facilitating the proper introduction of the work between thearbor and the scroll.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosure in the specification and the accompanying draws ing,in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hemmer-foot embodying the inventionand shown as applied to a sewing machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the foot.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the foot.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan View of the arbor member as it is produced ona screw-machine and before the shank thereof has been properly bent.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55, Fig.2.

In the drawing the hemmer foot is shown as comprising a base-member orsole-plate I terminating in a shank 2 attached by the thumbscrew 3 tothe usual presser-bar 4 of a sewing machine having a throat-plate 5 andreciprocatory needle-bar 6 carrying the threaded needle I. Thesole-plate I at its forward end is bifurcated to provide the spaced toes8 and 9, and is apertured, as at III, to provide the usual needlehole.

Soldered or otherwise fastened to the toe 9 is the usual hemmer scrollII having a leading work-folding edge I2 which extends spirallyrearwardly between the toes 8 and 9 toward the needle-hole Ill. Thework-folding edge I2 is preferably steeply spiraled so that it will havea decided folding action on the marginal portion of the fabric as thesame contacts the work-folding edge in its passage through the hemmer.

Preferably formed endwise of the toe 8 is a hole I3, shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2, adapted to receive the attenuated shakn I4 of aconicalshaped arbor I5, the free end of which is disposed within thescroll II and directed toward the needle-hole Iii. It will be observedthat the conical-shaped arbor I5 is spaced a uniform distance from thescroll II for the full length of its projection within the scrollthereby defining a fabric-passageway of uniform capacity. Also, fromFig. 1 it will be seen that the marginal portion of the fabric is foldedabout the conicalsha-ped arbor I5 by the hemmer scroll I I and that thearbor is sufiiciently large in cross-section at any one point within itswork-controlling length as to fill the tubular fold of fabric formed bythe hemmer. It is desirable that the fabric-passageway be of uniformcapacity and th arbor be of such cross-section as to completely fill thehemfold, for when the hemmer is so constructed the fabric Comprising thehem-fold is better controlled in its passage to the needle, and is notpermitted to unfold prior to being stitched.

As previously indicated one of the advantages of the present inventionis that an arbor-member is used which is susceptible of convenientproduction on a so-called screw-machine. This can be better appreciatedby reference to Fig. 4. In this figure there is illustrated thepreferred form of arbor-member which comprises a workcontrolling conicalhead I5 tapering toward its free end and at its other end formed with areversely conical portion I6 terminating into the attenuated shank I4.In preparing the arbormember for assembly on the hemmer, the shank I4 isproperly bent adjacent the reversely conical portion I6 intosubstantially U-shape. After the arbor-member is properly bent the endof the shank I4 is inserted into the hole I3 in the toe 8 and solderedor otherwise suitably fastened therein. It will be seen in Figs. 2 and 3that, after the arbor-member is properly bent, the reversely conicalportion I6 forms with the curved outer surface of the shank I4 a smoothwork-directing surface I! which is devoid of any ledge-likeprotuberances likely to impede the introduction of the fabric into thehemmer.

It is understood that the fabric is fed under d the hemmer-foot by theusual feeding element (not shown) common to sewing machines.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what I claim hereinis:

1. A sewing machine hemmer including a basemember, a work-folding scrollsecured to said base-member, and an arbor-member also secured to saidbase-member and disposed in cooperative relation with said scroll, saidarbor-member comprising a conical work-controlling head formed with areversely conical portion terminating in a curved shank fixed to saidbase-member.

scroll carried by one of said toes and having a spiralled leading edge,and an arbor-member oomplemental to said scroll and carried by the otherof said toes, said arbor-member including a conical work-controllinghead tapering toward its free end and formed at its other end with areversely conical portion terminating in a shank which is bent intosubstantially U-shape adjacent said reversely conical portion.

4. A sewing machine hemmer foot having a sole-plate provided with aneedle-aperture and at its forward end with spaced toes, a hemmer scrollattached at its forward end to one of said toes and having a spirallyformed leading edge extending rearwardly in the space between said toestoward said needle-aperture, and a hemmer arbor complemental to saidscroll, said arbor including a conical work-controlling head taperingtoward the needle-aperture at its rearward end and formed at its forwardend with a reversely conical portion terminating in a shank bent intosubstantially U-shape and anchored to the other toe of said sole-plate.

JOHN P. ENOS.

